Back to Results
Neasa Hourigan

Neasa Hourigan

Green Party

These answers were provided by the party

Taxes and spending
1 of 32 questions
Money that is currently being saved for future policy challenges (such as climate change and an ageing population) should be spent now on things like housing and healthcare.
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion
Comment: "We are already investing a huge amount into housing and healthcare and will continue to increase this. It is important though that we keep some money from windfall revenue for future costs, such as climate action and future pensions."

- Green Party
Taxes and spending
2 of 32 questions
Taxes on people earning over €100,000 a year should be increased.
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Our focus is on increasing taxes on wealth rather than income, but that if income taxes are to rise, it should be borne by those on the highest incomes. Ireland is a relatively low-tax country compared to our European counterparts."

- Green Party
Taxes and spending
3 of 32 questions
The Universal Social Charge (USC) is a necessary source of revenue and should be kept.
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "The USC remains an important part of a broader Irish tax base."

- Green Party
Taxes and spending
4 of 32 questions
Tax on inheritance should be reduced, even if it means cutting back on public spending or increasing other taxes.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "Inheritance tax in Ireland is in line with that in other OECD countries and is an important equality measure."

- Green Party
Taxes and spending
5 of 32 questions
Universal payments, such as child benefit and energy credits, should be replaced with more targeted measures aimed at the less well-off.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Match with candidate
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We believe that while the greatest support should be directed to those most in need, the social welfare system should have broad application. "

- Green Party
Housing
6 of 32 questions
The government should focus on making houses more affordable rather than providing financial supports to first-time buyers.
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should do both. Government schemes for first-time buyers have supported the viability and affordability of new housing developments. We will continue doing this while we ramp up supply to improve affordability."

- Green Party
Housing
7 of 32 questions
Planning guidelines should be relaxed to allow for more one-off rural housing
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "We should continue to support the development of the centres of our towns and villages, as set out in the Town Centre First policy. We want to focus on supports to ending dereliction in towns and villages."

- Green Party
Housing
8 of 32 questions
A rent freeze should be introduced across the country, even if it risks landlords leaving the market
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We effectively already have a rent freeze in real terms, due to the Rent Pressure Zone capping increases to inflation or 2% per year. This balances the need to both protect renters and encourage supply. "

- Green Party
Housing
9 of 32 questions
The Local Property Tax should be scrapped, even if it means less money available for local councils
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Your position
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion
Comment: "This is an essential factor in allowing Local Authorities to provide services to people around the country, and is the closest thing Ireland has to a tax on wealth, albeit at a very low rate."

- Green Party
Transport
10 of 32 questions
The provision of public transport (trains, light rail, buses) should be prioritised over building roads
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Ireland has had decades of focusing on unsustainable roads development without a consequent investment in public & active transport to provide people with real choice. We need to continue to invest in it."

- Green Party
Transport
11 of 32 questions
The passenger cap at Dublin airport should be lifted
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "This is a live planning issue and a decision for Fingal County Council."

- Green Party
Environment, energy, agriculture
12 of 32 questions
Carbon taxes should continue to increase each year
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "The carbon tax mechanism has delivered significant incentive and revenues for the green transition in Ireland, providing a clear signal from government regarding our direction of travel towards a sustainable future."

- Green Party
Environment, energy, agriculture
13 of 32 questions
Ireland should give up its exemption under the EU Nitrates directive
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "It’s not something to ‘give up’. The Nitrates Derogation will come to an end at some stage. We should prepare for that eventuality by increasing resources and schemes to advise, guide, support and enforce the Nitrates Action Programme."

- Green Party
Environment, energy, agriculture
14 of 32 questions
The government should introduce measures to significantly reduce the extent of livestock farming in Ireland
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Green Party policy focuses on all aspects to improve the sustainability of Irish farming, such as new practices like silviculture, mixed farming, and organics, as well as reductions in emissions from fertiliser."

- Green Party
Environment, energy, agriculture
15 of 32 questions
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals should be allowed in Ireland, to improve security of supply
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "We will always stand firmly against the development of a commercial LNG facility in Ireland. We will seek to secure our electricity supply not with LNG backup, but with increased renewable energy generation, interconnection, and long-duration storage"

- Green Party
Social issues and education
16 of 32 questions
Abortion should be allowed in a wider range of circumstances.
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We have consistently advocated against the three day waiting period as unnecessary and unkind."

- Green Party
Social issues and education
17 of 32 questions
Policies to increase the representation of women in politics have gone too far
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "We want equal representation in our politics. We are proud to have the highest female representation in this General Election, with female candidates accounting for 53% of the total."

- Green Party
Social issues and education
18 of 32 questions
New laws on hate speech should be introduced to protect vulnerable communities
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We want to modernise Ireland’s incitement to hatred legislation."

- Green Party
Social issues and education
19 of 32 questions
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have too much power in Irish policy making
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Social issues and education
20 of 32 questions
Religious instruction should only take place outside school hours in Irish primary schools
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We want to amend legislation to require schools to ask parents to opt-in to religious instruction, ensuring that families do not feel pressured to opt-out."

- Green Party
Social issues and education
21 of 32 questions
Gender diversity and transgender issues should be taught in Irish primary schools
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We support the age-appropriate implementation of the new curriculum. These make up a very small part of the curriculum. "

- Green Party
Immigration and asylum
22 of 32 questions
More resources should be given to improving conditions for asylum seekers
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We want to ensure that those requesting international protection receive a high standard of accommodation, and of psychosocial and integration supports, with a particular emphasis on supports for the most vulnerable."

- Green Party
Immigration and asylum
23 of 32 questions
Communities should be obliged to take their fair share of asylum seekers, even if there is local opposition
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "No community has the right to exercise a veto on who lives where. However, we should ensure every community is supported in providing a welcome and in building links between those seeking asylum and those welcoming them."

- Green Party
Immigration and asylum
24 of 32 questions
Accommodation centres for asylum seekers should not be located in economically disadvantaged areas
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree Your position
  • Disagree Candidate position
  • No opinion
Comment: "To the greatest extent possible, asylum seekers have to be located in areas with the greatest capacity for accommodation and services. Extra supports are provided by central Government, such as the Communities Integration Fund."

- Green Party
Immigration and asylum
25 of 32 questions
Rules on immigrant work permits and student visas should become more restrictive
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Match with candidate
  • No opinion
Comment: "Given the tightness of the labour market, it is important that we can maximise the economic benefits of migration. A shortage of skilled workers is holding back almost every sector of the economy."

- Green Party
Crime and policing
26 of 32 questions
The solution to anti-social behaviour lies in tackling poverty and disadvantage rather than tougher policing
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "Strengthening communities is the best way to address the root causes of socio-economic disadvantage. We support a community work-based approach to help the public access the services they need."

- Green Party
Crime and policing
27 of 32 questions
Gardaí should take a more robust approach to dealing with political protests
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Your position
  • No opinion
Comment: "We believe that when protests turn violent, Gardaí must enforce the law to protect people, and that threats and intimidation towards public representatives undermine democracy."

- Green Party
Foreign policy and defence
28 of 32 questions
Ireland should continue to provide financial and political support to Ukraine in response to the ongoing war
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We will continue to provide non-lethal military aid for Ukraine, with a particular focus on demining and cyber defence. We stand ready to support physical reconstruction and institution-building in Ukraine."

- Green Party
Foreign policy and defence
29 of 32 questions
The EU should suspend its trade agreement with Israel
  • Agree Match with candidate
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We will continue to push for the European Commission to review Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations in the EU-Israel Association Agreement, and act accordingly to amend or suspend the agreement."

- Green Party
Foreign policy and defence
30 of 32 questions
Ireland should retain its ‘triple lock’ rule for deploying troops abroad
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "We are in favour of a modernised Triple Lock, which ends the practice of giving other countries the power to veto our peacekeeping operations. This would involve the Dáil, Seanad and a regional/international organisation’s approval. "

- Green Party
Foreign policy and defence
31 of 32 questions
Ireland should collaborate more with other EU member states on defence and security
  • Agree Candidate position
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree Your position
  • No opinion
Comment: "We will continue to oppose Ireland joining NATO. Where it is effective and does not impinge on our neutrality, we will support limited engagement in PESCO and other structured cooperation initiatives on a case-by-case basis."

- Green Party
Irish unity
32 of 32 questions
A referendum on Irish unity should be held in the next five years
  • Agree Your position
  • Neither agree nor disagree Candidate position
  • Disagree
  • No opinion
Comment: "This is not a decision for the Irish Government to make. However, we support the need for preparations for Irish unity, such as cross-border infrastructural development, and for working towards achieving consensus on the future of our shared island."

- Green Party

By using our site, you agree to our use of one strictly necessary cookie. Learn more